Y - The Last Man (Issues 1-60 complete) by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra Yorrick Brown and his monkey Ampersand are the last remaining males on the planet after a virus kills of anything with a Y chromosome. Society is plunged into chaos as infrastructures collapse, and the surviving women everywhere try to cope with the loss of the men, their survivor guilt, and the knowledge that humanity is doomed to extinction. Vaughan crafts the new society that emerges out of this chaos, from the conversion of the Washington Monument into a monument to the dead men, to the genesis of the fanatical ultra-feminist Daughters of the Amazon, who believe that Mother Earth cleansed itself of the "aberration" of the Y chromosome, to male impersonators becoming valued romantically and professionally.

Over the course of their journey across America-Japan-Australia-Paris, Yorick and his friends discover how society has coped in the aftermath of the plague. However, many of the women they encounter have ulterior motives in regard to Yorick.

He teams up with Agent 355 and Dr Mann (A geneticist) to travel across America to find a cure for the virus, find Yorricks fiance and protect him from all the different factions who want to exploit the last man.

Ok it had a bit of funny ending, but when you think of it it does seem to fit in well with the comic. You never really find out what caused the virus (there are plenty of opinions/theories) and the scene between Yorrick and Beth when they finally meet after 5 years is crazy.

Good fun.4/5~Reviewed by Lucien21

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1st to Die by James PattersonNewlyweds are being stalked and slaughtered in San Francisco, and Lindsay Boxer, a homicide inspector, is looking for leads. She joins forces with three other talented women - a journalist, a medical examiner, and an assistant District Attorney - who use their skills to try to solve the complex case and catch the killer.

This first book in the Women's Murder Club series is also my first foray into Patterson's books, and I'm very impressed. His suspenseful plot is full of twists and turns, and he keeps the reader guessing right up to the hair-raising end. The women are gutsy and likeable characters, reminiscent of those in Nancy Thayer's Hot Flash Club series, only younger. This was a page-turner for me, and I look forward to continuing my relationship with these ladies.~Reviewed by Lady Kestrel

1st to Die by James Patterson Like his books as the chapters are fairly short and snappy and I can pick it up whenever I can and get into it immediately. This is a good murder mystery with the wonderful characters of the Women's Murder Club at their best!!James Patterson is extremely popular with staff and older learners at the High School library I run, so decided to try him out myself. I can now see why he IS so popular! And fortunately I have another 6 at least in the library to read when I am finished this one! ~Reviewed by Val

206 Bones by Kathy ReichsTempe Brennan regains consciousness and discovers that she is bound, hands to feet, in a dark and cold enclosed space. She slowly begins to reconstruct how she got there.

Tempe and Lieutenant Ryan had accompanied the recently discovered remains of a missing heiress from Montreal to Chicago, but they found that, via an incriminating phone call, Tempe had been accused of mishandling the autopsy and the entire case. A few hours later, the man with information about the phone call was dead. Back in Montreal, the corpses of two more elderly women were also found.

Moving back and forth between Tempe’s terrifying captivity and her memory of the murder cases, Reichs produces a very suspenseful page turner. I did want to smack Tempe for getting into yet another predicament through her own lack of judgement, but then, without her occasional blundering, there wouldn’t be a story to tell.~Reviewed by Lady Kestrel

2nd Chance by James Patterson with Andrew GrossIn this second book of the Women's Murder Club series, all but one member of a childrens' choir survive a shooting in front of their church. At first it seems like a random hate crime, but when other members of the black community are taken out by a sharpshooter, Linsey Boxer, with the help of her "club," must find the pattern that links them either to a cult or a personal vendetta.

On the whole, this story is suspenseful and engrossing, but I did get a bit annoyed when the veteran officer went twice into a dangerous situation without backup. It's a ploy that has been over-used in mysteries and horror stories. I know the story needed the first incident to move several plot threads forward, but the second one seemed contrived to me. Still, it has whetted my appetite for more of the series.~Reviewed by Lady Kestrel

3rd Degree by James Patterson and Andrew GrossI've been gobbling up these Women's Murder Club books like popcorn. In book #3, Detective Lindsay Boxer, out for a walk with her dog, witnesses an explosion and fire. At the scene, a mysterious message is left. This is just the beginning of a series of murders that seems to have a political agenda. The murderer vows to kill every three days unless certain demands are met, and one of the 4 members of the club is in grave danger. Patterson gets the heart pumping with this one. The short chapters and snappy dialogue add to the suspense.~Reviewed by Lady Kestrel

4th of July by James Patterson and Maxine PaetroIn this mystery, Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer, who has "time off" while awaiting her own trial for a shooting incident involving two teens, goes to stay at her sister's house on the beach to get away from members of the media who are determined to demonize her. There she learns about the gruesome local murders which seem to have a connection with an unsolved case she investigated as a rookie. Tension mounts on both fronts. Not only is her job in jeopardy, but maybe even her life as the killer makes plans to strike again.

I think this is the best of The Women's Murder Club series so far. Its fast pace and hairpin turns in plot made for a wild but enjoyable ride.~Reviewed by Lady Kestrel

The 5th Horseman by James Patterson and Maxine PaetroBook #5 of the Women's Murder Club series is an excellent medical and legal thriller. Patients seem to be dying for no good reason at a large San Francisco hospital, and there is a high profile court battle between them and the families of the victims. When someone close to the group dies, Lindsay becomes involved in the case, which seems to focus on one particular doctor.

The suspense and emotional involvement of this one kept me up reading until 4:00 in the morning. It's a very engrossing story, reminiscent of the Law and Order tv series as it switches to different venues and the evidence builds.~Reviewed by Lady Kestrel

The 6th Target by James Patterson and Maxine PaetroIn this sixth book of the Women's Murder Club series, Lindsay Boxer must deal with a shooter on a ferry who leaves several people dead and one of her friends in critical condition. She must also help with finding a kidnapper who abducted a little girl in broad daylight along with her nanny and try to solve the murders happening in her friend's apartment complex.

Demoting Lindsay to Sergeant in the last book was a wise move because she now has the freedom to get into the middle of things without having to say, "I know I shouldn't be here, but..." The interwoven plots in this book are well done, and the story gives the reader food for thought about the sanity of the criminal mind.~Reviewed by Lady Kestrel

7th Heaven by James Patterson and Maxine PaetroLindsay Boxer is investigating two very difficult cases in San Francisco. The first is a terrible fire in a wealthy home that has left a married couple dead, and the second is the disappearance of the ex-governer’s son who has been missing for a month. When there finally seems to be a lead in the second case, it’s a devastating one.

As Yuki Castellano, the assistant district attorney, begins the biggest case of her life to get to the bottom of Michael Campion’s disappearance, more fires consume couples in rich neighborhoods. The race to find the arsonists and solve Michael’s case leads to some thrilling and unexpected twists and turns. This one will keep you turning the pages into the wee hours of the morning.

The 19th Wife by David EbershoffIn this novel, the author expertly weaves together two different stories, one based on Mormon history and the other a contemporary murder mystery.

The historic protagonist is Ann Eliza Young, the 19th wife of Brigham Young, who separated from him in 1875 and began a campaign to end polygamy in the United States. Using many historic documents, the author shows us what life was like for the early Mormon pioneers who eventually settled in Utah and what being a plural wife was like for the women and children involved. It is fascinating, and sometimes disturbing, reading.

The modern-day protagonist is Jordan Scott, a young man from Utah who was ejected from his polygamous fundamentalist sect as a young teen and left to fend for himself. His mother’s arrest and pending trial for the murder of his father brings him back to the community he thought he had left forever. He wants to find out the truth about his father’s death, and during his search, he puts some ugly ghosts to rest and finds some hope for the future.

I thoroughly enjoyed this compelling book and recommend it highly.~Reviewed by Lady Kestrel